BY J. H. MAIDEN AND E. BETCHE. 365 



orchidej:. 

 Prasophyllum fimbriatum R.Br., var.? 



Charley's Forest near Braidwood, about 8 miles from the 

 "Currockbilly Mountain, at about 3000 feet altitude, growing 

 ■chiefly amongst the prostrate Grevillea Reiiwickiana F.v.M.(J. 

 L. Boorman; March, 1909). 



Stems slender, generally between 1 and 2 dm. high, the leaf 

 reduced to a sheathing bract. Flowers few to 8 in the spike, 

 about 2 or 3 cm. long, of dark claret-colour in general impression. 

 Lateral sepals united at the slightly gibbous base, linear but 

 narrowed towards the top and spreading with an undulate twist, 

 5 or 6 mm. long and about 1 J mm. broad, acuminate and with a 

 short abrupt point, purplish-brown, darker outside than inside, 

 glabrous; dorsal sepal nearly the same length, acutely acuminate, 

 light-coloured and striate, scantily fringed with purplish-brown 

 hairs on the sides. Petals much narrower and shorter than the 

 dorsal sepal and somewhat darker, acutely acuminate. Labellum 

 contracted into a claw at the base, articulate and movable, 

 gibbous at the base, linear-oblong, about as long as the lateral 

 sepals, smooth at the surface and with two raised lines in the 

 upper part, the edges densely fringed with long purplish-brown 

 hairs. Lateral appendages of the column as long as the column, 

 ■2-toothed at the top, the inner tooth brown, the other yellow. 

 Anther with a long point. 



We drew up the above description from fresh specimens under 

 the impression that we were describing a new species, hut lue found 

 out later that we cannot point out any essential difference from 

 Bentham's description of P , fimbriatum. Anyone who compares 

 Mr. Fitzgerald's coloured plate of P.fimhriatiun with the flower 

 painted by Miss Flockton from our specimens, will at once see 

 that the two plants cannot be identical. Apart from the striking 

 difference in the colour, the tvvo plants differ not inconsiderably 

 in the shape of the labellum, petals, and appendages of the 

 column. Robert Brown's original description applies equally 

 well to both. To decide with certainty the question whether 



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